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Carmelo Anthony, Knicks top NBA jersey sales

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Carmelo Anthony finished tops in the NBA in jersey sales this season and he's on the verge of a scoring title and an Atlantic Division title. Now he just needs the Larry O'Brien trophy.
(Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

As much as everyone wants
to talk about an Atlantic Division crown, or
even an NBA title, Carmelo Anthony has already accomplished something far
more tangible: He's the first Knicks player to lead the league in jersey sales
for a season since the league starting publicizing these figures in 2001-2002.

Anthony
climbed from No. 4 to take the top spot from LeBron James, who slipped to No.
2. Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose round out the first five. Melo's
teammate, Amar'e Stoudemire, is No. 14.

Brooklyn
Nets point guard Deron Williams finished sixth.

The Knicks
were tops in merchandise sales, followed by the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers
and the Nets.

There were
obviously a lot of factors working in Anthony and Williams' favor.
Not only did the Knicks and Nets come out with new uniforms this year (admittedly, the Knicks' new threads are similar to their old ones) but the Heat and Lakers'
sales were hurt by their own popularity. How
many LeBron James jerseys can one fan own?

Anthony is
also leading the NBA in scoring, which is a surefire way to get fans to buy
your jersey.